Home / Environment / Punjab Smog Crisis: LHC Seeks Urgent Action
Punjab Smog Crisis: LHC Seeks Urgent Action
27 Oct
Summary
- Lahore's AQI reached 340, Shahdara 500, and Lahore 410 on Oct 23.
- Court seeks 'Smog and Climate Task Force' and emergency response.
- Government sealed one industrial unit, fined others in anti-smog ops.
A petition filed in the Lahore High Court calls for immediate action against Punjab's escalating smog crisis, citing dangerously high air quality index readings of 340 in Lahore and 500 in Shahdara on October 23, 2026. The Judicial Activism Panel argues that environmental laws have not been adequately enforced since a prior court ruling in August 2026.
Major contributors to the pollution include vehicle emissions, stubble burning, industrial activity, and loss of tree cover. The petition urges the establishment of a 'Smog and Climate Task Force' overseen by the chief secretary and an emergency response plan based on AQI thresholds.
The Punjab government has initiated an anti-smog operation, inspecting industrial units and brick kilns, sealing some, and imposing fines. Drones were utilized in these efforts. The Senior Minister stated that significant progress has been made in harvesting rice crops, with minimal incidents of crop residue burning reported and cases registered against violators.
